Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-04-07
A GRIM GHOST.
THE SPIRIT OF A DEAD LADY GUARDS
HER BkQUEsT.
From !SundaN Gazette.

Tie lower counties of the Western
Shore of Maryland received a popu
lation in the early colonial days NOR,
COSMOPOLITAN than any other section
OF the country in the same period
All the different races inhabiting th,
British Isles were represented, as also
in less degree, were the people o
Scandinavia, Germany, Holland anc
France. have records showing thai
even Spaniards and Italians and
Greeks, besides a few Turks were
among the progenitors of the popu'
lation that dwelt in the basins of the
Potomac and Patuxent prior to the
late war between the States. These
progenitors were, with very few ex-
ceptions-so few as to be hardly worth
mentioning-except for absolute accu.
racy OF statement, persons of the bet
ter class of society in the countries
whence they came. AS the Campbell
clan OF Scotland was said to contain
a larger number Of gentlemen than
any other clan in that country, so it
may be said that Maryland possessed
a greater number of gentle families
in proportion to population than any
other colony in America. AS the
theme OF this letter is superstition,
mention the above genealogical fact
to show that the superstitious fancies
Of Marylanders were not the outcome
of ignorance, illiteracy or contracted
intellect, but were the products of
minds trained and disciplined in the
learning and best social usages of the
age.
4 FIELD FOR ANOTHER HAWTHORNE.
The negro population of this State
was, Of course, responsible for many
such fantasies that in course of time
were adopted bv the whites, but the
invariably grOtesque character, the
unmistakable African flavor of these
always betrayed their origin. The
early Marylanders were an immagi-
native people and their fancy ran riot
in the rayless realm, in the shadowy
debatable ground that divides the
world of prosaic reality from the
dusky regions of the unknown. l
know Of no section of country which
would reward the genius Of another
Hawthorne so richly as the basins Of
the Potomac and the Patuxent. The
very air is full of romance, and the
misty wings of Astophet are ever
Tapping there. Not a dell but has
its legends, not brook but its super
natural inhabitants and its eerie ira
ditions, not a grove but is vocal with
phantom fancies attuued in every
chord of melody from appallingly
grotesque strains to the lightess, most
elf-like tones. Above all these nat
ural sources Of superstition, however,
there lies around Washington vast
field for the introspective analyst in
the characters of the people, there
being enough Of natura! incident and
historical event to give all the color
ing desirable. Many House of the
Seven Gables" many Scarlet Let
ter, many Twice Told-Tales" lie
thickly around us, waiting but the
pick and spade OF genius to be ex-
humed and brought to light to en-
chant the world.
PROBABILITIES OF TRUTH.
The story that l shall tell does not
belong properly to that cloudy realm
where the mind gropss in misty dark
hess, unable to hear aught bat awful
hints OF mystery too vast. too shad-
ovy TO be spoken in distinct tones.
There only Poe and Hawthorne, Of
Americans, have walked aud sesn and
heard, and told, albeit. in vague faint
suggestions. Of what blinded vision
aud deafened heari; cannot perceive
1t is not in the province of an humble
sentry in the camps of literature tc
essay attacks upon that vague and
formless Horror, which only the most
daring and most royalty gifted lead.
ers OF Poesie can DO. and live. Nine
belongs to su humber and more gro,
tesque though far less terrible realm
Yet the mystery Of the tones of Elean,
ore floating softly through the mid
summer night in loving evidence tC
the ears Of Ermengarde's husband, il